SOB
SOB has 2 meanings
Shortness of breath
Health professionals use SOB to mean "shortness of breath." Those with SOB are having difficulty breathing and may feel like they're suffocating. Oftentimes, SOB is accompanied by intense chest pain or a feeling of lightheadedness.
Some common causes of SOB include:
- Asthma
- Low BP
- Respiratory tract infections
- Heart attacks
- Anxiety attacks
If your SOB feels severe, you may want to call 911 or visit the ER.
Example
I went to the ER cuz I had SOB but I'm better now.
You may see SOB used in health-related forums
Take the pop culture acronym challenge
When you're chatting with someone who is angry or upset, SOB stands for "son of a b****." This explicit acronym can be used to express a general sense of frustration or to label a specific person as a douchebag.
Just like the phrase "son of a b****," SOB is fairly flexible. People use SOB to express not just frustration, but surprise, delight, and despair, proving how multi-faceted even a crass acronym like SOB can be.